MOMA, will she tear your little boy apart?... Music buffs already know these lyrics. They are, of course, from Pink Floyd’s song; Mother (1979; The Wall), but could also frame my blog below. Read on… My featured car is near perfection and a slice of nirvana. She is, of course, a Cistalia model 202 variation, namely a 1947 Cistalia 202 MM Savonuzzi Aerodinamica Coupe. All Cistalia’s 202’s are beautiful. For good reason, Cistalia commissioned several famous designers of the day to design a body for their new chassis. Pinin Farina was invited, as was Vignale, Stablimenti Farina (not affiliated with Pinin Farina) and Touring of Italy. In so doing, Cistalia guaranteed the motoring public that their forthcoming models would be, perhaps, the most desirable post war sports car available, anywhere. Choosing a favorite 202 model, to me, is simply splitting hairs. However, much like your own children (and you love them all equally), one may possess a certain flair or trait that is very endearing. This quirk takes nothing from your love of the other siblings, rather differentiates them. Pundits and purists alike agree, the Cistalia Model 202 was the postwar template for a perfectly proportioned sports car. So elegant, yet simple, were their designs, that one now resides – permanently, at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City (Pinin Farina’s design) When a car with a flawless design goes racing, however, other aerodynamic tweaks may become necessary. So it is with my featured car. Her history is rich. The vision of Cistalia’s founder; Dante Giacosa the 202 MM became reality because of his technical engineer; Giovanni Savonuzzi. The 1947 Cistalia MM Aerodinamica Coupe was perfect, yet over the top at the same time. Built by Stabilimenti Farina, massive fins were added to create down force and high-speed stability at racing speeds. After all, racing was in her name. The MM stood for Mille Miglia. She employed an 1,100 cc engine from Fiat’s contemporary sedan, and given her light weight, created a commendable power to weight ratio. Her rear wheel skirts, louvered hood and fender vent holes (ala Buick) were all intentional. None of these featured additions were deemed cosmetic at the time - they were there purposefully. Savonuzzi was Fiat’s head of experimental aircraft prior to his engagement with Cistalia (and during WWII). Knowing this tidbit of historical information summons an “aha” moment. Sure, wings on a racecar - a natural extension of Savonuzzi’s previous experience. A US Serviceman stationed in Italy, following the war, took the black and white photograph featured below. It is a precious snapshot steeped in significance. One can see that the car arrested onlookers and her diminutive scale can be determined in comparison to the, coincidently named; Peugeot 202 delivery van parked beside her. A Peugeot delivery van was small relative to her American delivery counterpart. Put next to a period Cadillac, as an example, the 202 MM would look like a go-kart. Please note that the red car shown below is a reproduction. The car in the vintage photo is – of course, the original silver car. Enjoy Paul
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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